Pneumatic conveyer



Patented Sept. 6, 1927. 'A

RUSSELL C. MAHON, OF DETROIT, MICHGAN.

PNEUMATIC coNvnYnn.

Application ii1ed.August 9, 1926. Serial No. 128,094.

This invention relates to pneumatic conveyers and the object of the invention is to j provide a pneumatic conveyer conduit of uniform diameter throughout provided with valve controlled apertures in the bottom by means of which the material passing through the conveyer may be prevented from accumulating in the bottom' of the conveyer conduit.

ln the usual type of conveyer conduit uti` lized in connection with an exhaust fan the conduit is designed to maintain velocity which is accomplished byreducing the Sec tions. in diameter in proportion to the distance of the section from the fan and the reduced sections are limited as to the amount oi' material that may be discharged thereinto. With this former type of conveyer conduit if one or more-inlets for material are added to the conduit vit is necessary to reconstruct the entire conveyer to accommodate the additional inlets. the systems now in use -are not adaptable to a rearrangementy of inlets which discharge thereinto. The primary obj ect of my invention ltherefore is to provide a conveyer conlstruction which will readily lend itself to rearrangement of the inlets dischargingl tliereinto, addition of new inlets, or 'the elimination of some of the inlets discharging into the conveyer without rearrangement or redesigning of the conveyer conduit.

A further object of' the invention is to provide a pneumatic conveyer into which inlets may discharge at any point and which will operate eiiiciently even whenseveral inlets discharge. into the same section of the conveyer. This is accomplished by'providing openings in the bottom of the conveyer through which additional air` may ilow to prevent accumulation of material in the bottom ot the conveyer conduit. y

These objects vand the several novel -eatures of lthe invention are hereinaftermore fully described and claimed and the referred form of construction by which t ese objects are attained is shown in the accom-- panying drawingsin which- Fig. 1 is a view of a pneumatic conveyer.

embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section Fig 2.

In other Words through a portion ofthe conveyerconduit. 'Fig 3 1s av section taken on line 3 3 of As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the conveyer conduit is built up Jfrom a series of sections 1. Each section is provided with a iiange' 2 ot' decreased diameter at one end which is adaptedvto fit Withinthe succeeding -section. Each section at the bottom is provided with a sloping depression 3 which starts adjacent the flange 2 of the section and continues increasingly vdeeper toward the opposite end of the section. A supporting `arc uate flange 4 is provided as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 which supports the end of the adjacent section above the depression 3 in the bottom of the section. This supporting -flange provides a support for the valve or damper 5 which is hinged to the said iiange and the damper 5 may be turned by means of a handle 6 extending outwardly from the side of the conduit and is utilized for con trolling the opening 7 at'the end of the depression 3. The conduit when assembled provides a pneumatic conveyer for conveying material such as sliavings. cotton waste or like materiah For this use the conduit is set upin a factory and discharge conduits from the machines dischargeinto-.the con veyer conduit through the apertures 8 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.l The'conduit is connected to an exhaust fan housing 9 having a discharge conduit shown in dotted lines in Fig. l 'and containing an exhaustrfan adapted to be driven by the pulley l0. This exhaust fan preferably discharges into a dust collector adapted to separate the material from the air. In the usual conduit of this type the material tends to accumulate at diit'erent points in the bottom of the conduit particularly where the discharge pipes from several machines enter the conduit in closev proximity thus decreasing the eiiiciencv of tli'e conveyei' system. I

With my device if the materialtends to accumulate in any particular section of the conduit the valve 5 in that section is opened allowing air to be drawn inwardly by the exhaust fan along the bottom of the conduit thus lufling the material and withdrawing it from the bottom of the conduit and preventing aecuniulation of the materiitl in the conduit. lilith this arrangement the valves throughout the length ot' the conduit may be adjusted so that the material cannot accumulate at any point in' the conduit even when two or three inlets discharge into one section ot the conduit. This allows the machinos to be arranged in a factory tor the most convenient tloor arrangement and these machines may discharge material into the conduit at any point.

In the ordinary conveyer in which reduced sections are utilized to maintain velocity it is necessary to arrange the machines in the 'factory so that they discharge into the conduit at specific points in order to prevent clogging ot' the conduit by the niaterial and when a new machine is added to the equipment it is often necessary to rearrange Iall the machines in the factory so that they discharge into the conduit in a manner to prevent accumulation of the material therein.

By opening all oi the valves 5 in my conveyer the material passing through the conduit is lifted from section to section by the air flowing into the bottom oi each section. While I have shown a round conduit it will be readily understood that any shape of conduit may be utilized as long as the ineans for admitting air is provided in the bottom of each section. I

In ordinary pneumatic conveyor constructions the sections of the main conduit decrease in size as the various leads are taken ott in order to maintain velocity. In this.

application the conveyer is not designed to maintain velocity in the main conduit but to maintain suction or pressure, and the deposition of material caused' by lack of velocity, is taken care of by providing openings in the bottom of the conduit through which air is drawn at a high velocity.

Frein the foregoing description it becomes evident that the device is very simple and efficient in operation, will noteasily get out of order, does not Vadd materially to the cost ozt the sections and provides a device which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described iny invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a pneumatic conveyor, a series of sections iitting together in end to end relation to form a conduit, each section' being provided with a depression in the bottom beginning at one end of the section and sloping longitudinally of the section toward the oppositie end ot' the section, the depression being open to atmosphere at the end, and a manually operable valve tor controlling the said openinfr.

2. In a pneumatic conveyor, a series of sections fitting together in end to .end rela manici ning` at one end oit the section and terminating in an opening beneath the opposite end oit the section, means for controlling tlow of air through the openings, and anvexhaust ian for withdrawing air trein the conduit.

it ln a pneumatic conveyer, a series of sections tilting together to form a conduit, x:ich section being provided with a sloping diaircssion beginning at one end ot the sec.- tion and terminatingin an opening beneath the opposite end of the section, and means for controlling tlow of air through the opening.

In a `pneumatic conveyer, a series oi sections fitting together to form a conduit, each section being provided with a sloping depression in the bottoni extending longitudinally of the section and opening beneath the section adjacent one end thereof, and means for controlling iiow ot yair through the opening. l

(l. In a pneumatic conveyor, a series of sections fitting together to form a conduit, each section being provided with a sloping depiession in the bottom extending longitudinally of the section and opening beneath the end of the section, and a valve Ylor controlling flow ot air through the opening.

7. In a pneumatic conveyor, a series of sections fitting together to form a conduit, each section being provided with a depression in the bottoni opening beneath the section, and means for controlling tlow of air through the opening.

S. In a pneumatic system for conveying material, a conduit, an exhaust fan at the discharge end thereof, the said conduit having a series ot openings providing Yfor a flow ot air inwardly materially less than the capacity ot the conduit, vthe said openings being provided in the lower side oli the conduit to prevent deposition of the material therein, and a manually operable valve for controlling flow of air through each opening independently.

9. In a pneumatic system for conveying material, av conduit, an exhaust fan at the lll() iis discharge end thereol, the said conduit having a series of openings providing i'or a l'loW oi air tliercinto materially less than the capacity of the conduit, the said openings being provided in the lower side of the conduit andv means for .controlling iiow of air through the said openings.

10. In a pneumatic system for conveying material, a conduit of uniform diameter throughout, an exhaust fan at the discharge end thereof, the said conduit having a series of openings providing for a flow of air inwardly materially less than the capacity of the conduit, the said openings being provided in the lower side of the conduit to prevent deposition of material'therein, and means for controlling flow of air through thesaid openings.. I

l1. In a pneumatic conveyer, a tconveyer conduit, an exhaust fan housing connected to the discharge end of the conveyer conduit and having a discharge opening, an exhaust fan in the housing adapted to withdraw ma' terial from the conveyer conduit and discharge .it through the discharge opening, the said conveyer conduit having a series of angular depressions in the bottom, each de- -the portion of the epression at pression being provided withV anY opening to atmosphere, each o ening being provided in .the greatest distance from the exhaust fan.

12. In a pneumatic conveyer, a conveyeiconduit having a series of openings for branch conduits for the dischrage of material into the conveyer conduit, an exhaust y duit having a series. of depressions in they bottom in the desired spaced relation longitudinally of the conduit, each depression having an opening to .atmospherethrough which air isl adapted to flow inwardly in the direction of flow through the conduit.

p In testimony whereof I sign this specii- RUSSELL o. MAHQN.

cation.

DISCLAIMER 1,641,181.-Russell 0. Mahon, Detroit, Mich. PNEUMATIC CONVEYER. Patent dated September 6, 1927. Disclaimer tiled September 19, 1982, by thev assignee, The R. 0'. Mahon Company. Hereby disclaims claims 11 and 12 of said patent. [Oicial Gazette Octobefn 18, 1932.] 

